A War Of Threads
by Yukikaze Luna
Summary: Ryuenji Tasuku is no one's heroin. But how long can he walk on the path of solitude towards tomorrow? With enemies, nightmares and danger at around every corner of the room, and the unmistakable sparks that fly between him and a certain hothead seems to interfere with his philosophy. Gao is determined to barge through the barrier that separates them. But is he willing to let him?
1. Chapter I

Author: The only reason I'm doing this is because I'm under a lot of stress from my upcoming test that will decide which class I'm going to be in Form 4, which is a huge deal for me. And I'm craving for some Yaoi, like literally, I'm going crazy about it. Most of the stories I've seen features an OC or pairings with them. Wait, I'm not being offensive or anything. It's just that since there is a good amount of characters in the Anime, I thought people would be more interested on writing what's going to happen next or plan some alternative plot, including AUs.

With a lot of questions and no answers so far with the characters' backgrounds, I thought I could get a few opinions from Fanfiction, but so far, none. Your stories are amazing, all of you. It's just that it's not what I'm interested in and that's a problem, for me. There are some really awesome Authors out there that is watching the Anime even though it's not popular(yet), and I hope that with this story, I can get people more interested.

Without further ado, let's continue. This is like canon-AU. That means a new enemy, a new threat and obviously, Gaosuku! A warning for the readers though, there is maybe one or two fanfics about this pairing, only difference is that their roles are reverse. Yes, some of you would disagree, but heck, it's my story, so I'm planning it how I like. My view is that I don't see their ages or slight height differences, I see their personalities. This is just a fair warning to those who doesn't agree.

Literal meaning: Gao is the top while Tasuku's the bottom. (WTF did I just typed?)

* * *

Chapter I  
Misguided Sign

He opened his eyes to the world coming away in red, the distant moon glowed with an outline of red, the stars were tiny specks of light behind an erupted mass of billowing gray, the sky seemed to separate itself, leaving behind a world of burning cinder and wasted lives. He couldn't move, not when he was in the middle of it.

_This is not real,_ he thought to himself, the fire ebbing away at the ground, drawing closer and closer, his mind a foggy mess. But it was too real to be fake, he felt it all, his burning lungs, the blisters on his skin, an eternity of torture, not knowing when it would stop. He closed his eyes. "It's not real." He winced at his own voice, cracked and hoarse.

"That's right," a voice said behind his closed eyelids. His eyes fluttered opened, feeling disoriented, his vision in dizzy spins. As everything came into focus, he stared at the face that stared back at him. "That's right," the boy said again, his strong jaw standing out. "It is never real. Because you have never belonged here. You belong to _me_." His voice was deep and rough, eyes made of obsidian, his silver hair flew in the wind.

The words had an affect on him, because he was scurrying back, the strength pulsing in his weakened limbs. The way how he said it, the possessiveness in it, sent a shiver down his spine, a dread settling down the pit of his stomach. As the world dissolved into nothingness, he found himself running. The flames died away, the carbon-scented air replaced by a hollow space, the moon shattered into pieces, raining down on him, the shards bouncing off him in frantic sprays. The understanding never came to him, all he wanted was to get away from there, away from _him_.

The same boy blocked his path, although there was no path that guided him, but seeing him standing only a feet away had him tripping back onto his butt, scrambling back on his elbows. The boy followed according to his pace. His back hit a pole of wood and he was back in the fire, ashen place. No escape. "How did you find me?" his lips moved on its own.

The boy smiled sinisterly. "I will_ always_ find you."

* * *

Thirteen-year-old Ryuenji Tasuku woke up shivering under a wave of cold air, his blanket kicked off. He tasted blood in his lips and expected Jack to be by his side in seconds, instead he saw Jack's sleeping form beside his bed, breathing deeply in his sleep. He must have been biting down onto his lip hard to muffle out the screams. Luckily he did what he did or he would have to answer to Jack. He would never hear the end of it.

Crawling to the foot of the bed, he carefully lowered himself, his feet barely touched the cold tiles when the dream washed through his mind again, feeling like he wasn't in place, like this was a dream and his real body was back in the flames, lying motionlessly at the mercy of death. He fought the images and moved silently to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He let the water ran from the tap, his hands scooping out a handful of water and splashed it across his face.

His mirror self looked worn out, his eyes bloodshot, his skin paler, the water soaking the tips of his bangs. He couldn't bring himself to look away from the fear in those scarlet eyes, standing out like a sore thumb even among the pariahs. He hated how he felt vulnerable, every muscle in his body disobeying a direct order from the brain to fight back, to retaliate and prove he was stronger. He was no weakling that needed protecting, but his tiny speech only proved futile as he saw himself trembling.

_You belong to me, _the same voice whispered, the lust rolling off its tone.

_Shut up._

_I will always find you._

_Shut up shut up shut up!_ He grabbed his head and squeezed painfully tight, willing the voice to disappear. Surprisingly it obeyed and faded behind the back of his mind. The only sound that broke the silence was the running water and his pounding heart. He closed the tap, the silence breaking in. He stared defiantly back at the mirror. "I belong to no one."

* * *

_Subject: Kamezaki Ranmaru  
__Age: 37  
__Buddy Monster: Combat Unit, Guardian Rook  
__World: Generic  
__Past Records: Murder  
__Crime: Escape and attempted assassination_

_After arrested for murdering a civilian, Kamezaki Ranmaru has been trialed for twenty years in jail. During the first five years of his confinement, he had shown obedience thus far. Opinions suggested that he had a change of heart to repent for his actions, but when news reached within the walls of his sister's death, he used a distraction to break out of prison. The victim had been found stabbed in her own apartment. Forensic pathologists confirmed that the scene of death had occurred around two hours before her roommate had returned from an outing one in the morning. _

_Further investigation revealed the truth of the so called 'innocent' civilian Kamezaki Ranmaru had murdered five years ago. Kamezaki's parents used to invest money to a company in charge of managing black markets all over the world. When the motive was found out, the company was shut down. The CEO, also the late civilian, Kazemaru Mitsuoka, decided to repay the offer by inserting a timed bomb into the vehicle the Kamezakis drove. On the way back, the bomb was triggered and the car exploded, causing the deaths of the couple and injuries from bystanders._

_Following the story, Kamezaki escaped hoping to find the man responsible. He learned that a suspected businessman arrived Japan the same day of the murder. He was a relative toward Kazemaru Mitsuoka only confirmed his suspicion of revenge and discovered he would be present for a meeting at the highest floor of the Sky Tower._

_Status: Captured and detained on top of the Sky Tower. The assassination has been prevented._

"This should do," he said to himself, humming off into an unknown rhythm. The keyboard disappeared off the screen, replaced by a saved file. He dragged the file across the screen to a dispatch box, typing in the correct address. The crystal screen faded away, leaving a single flat tube-like object in his hand. He shoved the LCD panel into the pocket of his jeans.

Tasuku smiled contently to himself. Today's mission had went better than he thought. It was a success without consequences. He had handled the situation without any help. No deaths, no injuries, just the way he liked it. He reviewed back to his report. He had done a little research on this recent criminal he had dealt with in order to report back to Commander I. This wasn't his first time writing a report on backgrounds, but the information never stopped to sadden him.

_Something wrong, Tasuku?_ The familiar of Jack's voice whispered into his ear. He heard it loud and clear, at the same time it was far and distant, like standing close but separated by a margin of glass. To Tasuku, there wasn't any boundary between them. There was always a connection that bound them as one.

Tasuku must have noticed he was frowning, because he forced out a sad smile. "Nothing," he said simply, pulling out the LCD panel. "Just thinking." He began toying with the device, tossing it up and catching it with the other hand. "Thought maybe I could have done something for the Kamezaki-san. His life was taken." He caught the LCD panel in his right hand, fingers tightening over the handle. "I know how it feels to lose everything."

There was a sort of silence. The bad thing about Jack in card form was that Tasuku couldn't tell what he was thinking. _There was nothing you could have done. _Always the same sentence and advice. True, you couldn't turn back time to fix your mistakes. Or, he thought sadly, bring back the ones you've lost. _What's done is done. You shouldn't worry about them._ Jack's voice was convincing, convincing enough to lift off all of the self-guilt.

The feeling brought a smile to his lips. "Thanks, Jack." A crystal flat screen flickered on. He made a note to research more about the man who was suspected to kill Kamezaki's sister. He was in a better mood after Jack's usual speech. It was short, but very meaningful to slice through his jumbled thoughts. "I don't regret it," he said absent-mindedly, taping in the words to his notes. The silence from Jack gave Tasuku the idea that he was confused.

"I don't regret it," Tasuku tried again, his voice determined. "I mean, _all_ of it." He didn't want Jack to think fate was trolling him, given him a life with no happiness. Jack was his world when he appeared out of the sky to save him from the harsh mountains. Jack was there the whole time he had slowly begun to stand on his feet. Without him, Tasuku would have fallen into an endless abyss and hit rock bottom. He wanted Jack to know how he felt. How lucky he was to have him.

_I know,_ Jack said briskly. He could hear a hint of fondness in it, and Tasuku was happy to convey such feelings to him. Not a lowly monster that aided in fights or provided fame. Family, that was what Jack was to him. Something that could not be replaced. Jack had a special place in his heart—like his family—and nothing could take his place.

"We're running low on ingredients," Tasuku said to Jack. "Want to shop for a big feast?"

_That might be better,_ agreed Jack.

"Knew you would say that," Tasuku replied teasingly. "I'll add in fruit salad and pudding for dessert." Jack stifled a sound of appreciation. Tasuku chuckled at the action.

* * *

"Thank you very much," Tasuku said, hefting up the bags of groceries.

The manager waved his hand dismissively, scowling at the gratitude. "It's fine," he said gruffly, his large heavy arms added a few extra items into the bags. "Here, some extra seasoning."

Tasuku gave a short bow. "Thanks again."

A woman stepped out of the staff room, wiping her hands on her apron. She offered a kind smile. "Make sure you have enough of those. Don't want those skills of yours to waste away. You remember to let me be the first one to taste your crepe." She leaned in close to his ear. "I swear, my husband needs private coaching from you. Can't always have the women doing all the work, can we?" she added in a whisper, giggling at the weird look the manager gave her.

"I heard that!"

She shook her head. "See what I mean," she said, gesturing back at her husband with a thumb. "The man has a horrible sense of humour. It's lucky that my son didn't inherit _everything_ from him. Takumi did inherit his tsundere side though," she murmured fondly, a hand on her cheek. "Hey, honey, say goodbye to Tasuku-kun!" she shouted to the back of the shop, receiving a loud grunt instead.

The manager appeared around the corner, gritting his teeth in irritation. Tasuku thought the man wanted to strangle him, but as soon as the man laid his eyes on him, they softened almost immediately that Tasuku couldn't believe his luck. He scratched his nape like he didn't know how to give a proper goodbye. He settled by patting awkwardly on Tasuku's head. "Um, don't get robbed on the way back home."

"Kusaka!" reprimanded his wife, whacking him on the head.

Kusaka gave no response and went back to stack up the boxes. His wife sighed in exasperation before waving goodbye to Tasuku and disappeared behind a row of canned food. Before Tasuke left, Kusaka poked his head out from around the counter, deep in thought. "And thanks anyway," he said after a while, "for delivering the core deck case to Takumi. He's a better person right now."

Tasuku blinked at the comment. "You're welcome."

Kusaka realized he was confessing his emotions for the first time because his face heat up slightly. He ducked his head back without another word.

The streets were congested with people, but he could see the numbers were lessening into a certain amount. Lamps were starting to come on as the evening drew closer to darkness. Stalls were packed up, a few hanging around for some conversation. There wasn't much people around to recognize him, but occasionally he had to sign a few autographs from hyperactive kids bouncing on their feet at the sight of him or engage in conversations with the parents or shop owners. It was weird for a thirteen-year-old kid like him to be looked up upon as an idol, with the age difference and all of that, but the situation had already been drilled into his habit.

_I'm considering grabbing you and flying off,_ Jack grumbled after Tasuku broke away from a conversation. He couldn't blame his buddy for his grumpiness since dinner had been stalled longer than he thought, and the fact that Jack kept quiet during the whole procedure was already a bonus.

"Alright, alright." Tasuku laughed lightly. "Next intersection, okay?" There was an alleyway at the next intersection between a cafe and a candy shop. If you knew the maze around it, it could take you practically throughout the city without getting notice. That was the best part about it—slipping under the radar of the paparazzi and avoiding unnecessary attention.

What he found at his little detour made him stop in his tracks. There was a boy defending off two guys who were way taller than him. His front hair was red, while peeking out from the back of his torn cap was black. He had fierce golden eyes and his arms were wrapped in bandages. Tasuku's first thought that he was hurt until some part of his mind screamed at him that it was merely decoration. He wore indigo sweatpants with a stripe going along the side and the form of a sun on his shirt.

With one hand, the boy swept the first adversary off his feet, dodging the second one and sending him sprawling on top of the first. The two groaned, tangled in arms and legs on the floor. Far off, the ringleader and a cyan-haired boy expressed astonishment. The two threw punches at him from both sides when they got up, but the boy merely took their wrists and flipped them onto their backs. It was one-sided. Whenever an attack came, he would evade or disarm, but never attack.

"Stop playing around!"

"Jack," Tasuku whispered, "this is..."

He could hear Jack nod. _An aggressive defense. While avoiding injuries, he is slowly tiring them out one at a time._

The ringleader fixed the boy with an enraged scowl. "I'm angry now!" he declared, pulling out his phone. "This is your last chance to say sorry!" The boy gave him a confused stare, the two attackers panting on their knees. The ringleader shove the screen of his phone toward him. "I have fifty comrades coming right now!" The emotion glinting in his eyes was quite unnoticeable, but Tasuku spotted fear in them.

"F—fifty!?" the cyan-haired boy cried fearfully.

He had the right to panic. Things would get out of hand with a public fight. "Jack, we should—"

_Be patient, Tasuku,_ Jack said. _Look closely._

"You would need more than fifty." The boy slipped on a black and indigo jacket that covered the top half of his sun-designed undershirt. "Lighting the darkness with a bright flame... to brighten someone's heart with its light."

"What are you trying to pull!?" the ringleader shrieked, the fear evidently showing.

"I am the Sun Banchou!"

Tasuku's eye twitched. "Was this what you expected, Jack?"

_Not...entirely,_ Jack said hesitantly.

Tasuku rolled his eyes. _Of course._

"I've always wanted to face against a hundred opponents," the boy said cockily. "Come on, bring another fifty!" His excited features dazzled brightly with enthusiasm. "Come on, send them the e-mail. Tell them the Sun Banchou will fight with every single one of them."

"Is this guy serious?" Tasuku said doubtfully. He was pulled out from his thoughts when the boy groaned and picked up his phone. The next thing he knew, he could hear screaming through the other line even from this far. "His mother sure have strong lungs," he mused to himself, earning a snort from Jack.

The boy hung up, giving an apologetic look. "Sorry Senpai, I'll have to postpone our hundred person battle to another day—"

"No way, you're not running away!" The three thugs pulled back their fists, but the boy took their arms in a strong hold, sweeping their feet under them. He performed a few tricks that left them immobilized, scooped up the cyan-haired kid before making a break. "What are you two standing around for?" the ringleader screamed. "Get him!"

_Now._

Tasuku didn't need Jack to say it. As they scrambled onto their feet, ready to launch into a full assault, he settled the bags down and was in their way before they could take another step. "That's enough," the authority in his voice made them freeze on the spot. Realization seemed to dawn onto them as they took a long look at him, their white faces convulsed in horror.

"Ryuenji Tasuku from the Buddy Police," one of them wheezed out. "We—I—He told me to do it! It wasn't me!"

"You traitor," barked the ringleader. "Don't you dare run out on me! He's just one guy. We can take him!" He sounded like he was trying to convince both his friend and himself. "Besides, they're on their way. He can't take on fifty of us alone." His words had an affect on the other two, because they gathered their wits and stood their ground.

"Will you really take that chance?" Tasuku's eyes narrowed, silently questioning them. "I may be alone, but since when had numbers had an affect on me? I battled twice your numbers more each day, while you decided to have your chance on a defenseless child." He held up two fingers. "You only have two paths. Leave quietly or—"

"Battle me." Jack's deep voice reverberated off the alley walls, cutting off Tasuku's. Jack's large dragon form stood protectively in front of him, looming over the three shaken individuals. His armor catching the afterglow of the sunset, cold amber eyes gazed down at them. His tail thumped against the floor, sending vibrations that rocked the pieces of trash back and forth, knocking the three off-balance.

They didn't need a smack on their faces to understand the message. Any harm that came to the Ryuenji Tasuku was a direct insult to the dragon itself. To back up his point, Jack's nostrils flared, pupils turning into slits. "W—we'll remember this!" Those were their last words before they bolted away, nearly tripping over their own feet.

Tasuku's head stuck out from behind Jack, raising an eyebrow. "Was it necessary for you to butt in like that? I could have handled the situation."

Jack snorted deliriously. "The only thing you'll be doing is being nice just because their going to regret whatever they were doing. It's a waste of time and energy."

"From time to time, we make mistakes. Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, they were a few years older then me at most, they're still children, Jack," Tasuku reprimanded. Then he broke into a smile. "Our job is to set things right, not give them heart attacks. The hospital won't be happy receiving that many patients in a day." He bumped his shoulder into Jack playfully. "Anyway, aren't you being a little overprotective much?" He twirled away and turned back with a teasing smile, his hands clasped behind him. "You're going soft, Jack."

"Only on you."

Tasuku's heart fluttered at the comment. He lifted up the groceries. "Let's go home."

* * *

"First kiss?"

Akari shrugged, devouring her tuna sandwich. She made a noise of approval, her blue eyes lit up into marbles. "Don't look at me like that," she said defensively. "It's not like I have any particular interest in that. Unlike those monsters over there, I have no say in it." She gestured pointedly at the two.

"Why bother asking?" Tasuku said. "If you hate it anyway."

"Just curious." Her tone had Tasuku narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Akari abandoned her sandwich and studied him, searching for an opening, something that would hint an answer for her. "You can't blame me for being curious," she said mildly. "With all due respect, Tasuku, but you're not exactly normal for a human being."

Tasuku rolled his eyes. "Thank you very much for comparing me to an abomination. Next time if I need your advice in a monster get-up, I'll be sure to knock on your door."

"Don't be ridiculous. What I'm trying to say is that it's not normal for one boy to be loved by everyone."

"Pay attention to your surroundings for once, it'll help."

"Please," Akari said dismissively, "I don't need every person latching themselves onto me. More importantly, back to the point where it doesn't involve being a bitch to everyone. With your popularity skyrocketing off the charts, I'm just asking whether you had your first kiss or not."

"You're too straightforward," said Tasuku, shaking his head. "My reaction applies to everybody out there."

"It's not like I'm asking whether you have lost your virginity yet."

What the hell?

Tasuku sputtered out incoherent words, his cheeks obtaining the same colour as a tomato.

"See, now that's a _really_ good reaction." She nibbled at her sandwich, blinking innocently at him. "Straightforwardness," she said fondly, "very helpful indeed."

Tasuku glared. "Watch your back."

Akari ignored the warning. "Is it a yes or a no?"

"It's none of your business."

"Just answer the damn question or you want another round of Q and A?"

Tasuku gave up. "No," he said. "I never kiss anyone."

"Never? Like never _never_?"

"Yes," Tasuku snapped. "What's your point?"

Akari clucked her tongue like a teacher expressing her displeasure toward her students when disrespectful. "My point _is_ I can give you a few pointers before your big moment happens."

Tasuku raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't interested in it?"

"Interest and knowledge are both different subjects. I wasn't lying when a first kiss is as important as your future." She gulped on the remains of her sandwich. "It could destroy you and start a spark. It's the same with either you're satisfied or disgusted. But know that a first kiss always starts something, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, it's that neither your heart or soul would forget it. It's a will that has been forced against you to burden with."

"You're implying like it's a life-and-death scenario," he noted, confused.

Akari had the same expression. "Did I really sound that serious to you? Sorry to burst your bubble, but let me rephrase that correctly. It's important to your emotions whether you choose to stay alone or be with someone highly depends on the strength of your feelings. To stay alone, you protect yourself from such emotions. If there is no starters, there is no destruction nor changes. To be with someone, it also concerns your pride. Will you be able to share all your secrets and weaknesses? That question has no correct answer in any philosophy.

"There is also fate and destiny involvement in all of this. Some are destined for each other and some are not. People believed that a future is always set for someone, a tragic one or a fairytale one. The story never ends until death. Unless you put your faith in 'love even after death', that's another story."

Tasuku thought back to his nightmare of the boy, his eyes voided of emotions aside power and possession. There was no tender feeling in his words whatsoever. The boy had simply claimed him as an item, an object to be used. And the way how he was so convincing of the destiny that bound them together, it infuriated him to even think about it. "So you're saying it's infinite when destiny binds two people together," Tasuku said grimly. "It sounds a lot like being forced to do something suicidal."

"And you think I believe in those shit?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Remember during Greek Mythology class? Something about Fates and Olympian Gods."

"The Moirai," he helpfully added in. "Three goddesses of fate that controls the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal from birth to death."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Grandmas knitting balls of yarn. The Greek and Roman believed that they controlled everything that happens in this world, including the Gods themselves. The decisions, the roles, the emotions, they manipulate everything to their liking. It's almost too sickening for me to comprehend these things, much less recite them."

"Again, your point?"

Akari sighed exasperatedly like she was talking to a child. "It means that Greeks and Romans can yap all they want about it, I wouldn't even care in the end. And neither should you. We choose what our future is. Anything can happen. You could die in a second or live the next day to tell the truth."

Tasuku recoiled. "I don't think that's good advice."

"Maybe so, but one thing's for sure," she said, setting her lunchbox onto her lap, the grass beneath her moved when she shifted into a comfortable position. "It means proclamation of your belongings." Tasuku's silence urged her to go on. She looked straight into his eyes. "A first kiss is like a symbol saying '_this is mine_'."

* * *

The fight was over and no one thought a newbie like Mikado Gao could win with a lucky draw. Paruko's voice was a blur in the background, the noise from the crowd was enough to be heard over five blocks away. There was a thousand emotions in the society. Surprised that Gao could beat the famed Ryuenji Tasuku. Angry and envy that Tasuku was giving up his strongest impact card to a nobody who recently started playing and had won his first buddyfight against a well-known strong fighter.

It had been a narrow win for him. If luck were to neglect his will to win, he would be finished by then. But he held on to it tightly and gave his best. His dream of using the rare card, Gargantua Punisher, came through. If Tasuku was regretting his decision, he didn't show it. The same serene smile was plastered on his lips. He looked relieved actually, his posture relax. Gao couldn't tell why he would hand over something that would practically come in one within a million chances. A few seniors were analyzing the scene in disbelief. Behind the racker the crowd was making, Paruko Nanana was freaking out, spiralling in loops, her voice shrilled. Gao could tell Tasuku was going to have people questioning his judgement in the future. The press, his fans, Gao pitied the guy, he was going to be bombarded by questions.

As a trade, Gao took out one of his. Tasuku blinked and studied the card. "Dragon Blade, Dragonbrave?"

Paruko flew down beside them. "It doesn't even live up to it!"

"It's thanks to this, I won. To me, it's one of my prized cards," Gao retorted. He stepped forward—

And the worst possible thing that could have happened to anyone befell on him.

His foot caught on something and he stumbled forward, crashing into Tasuku. Tasuku gasped out in surprise, and together they fell. The crowd went silent immediately and so did Paruko's rants. Was it that humiliating and funny to see someone fall? Apparently so. But the ground felt different. Instead of rough and dust, it was soft and tasted sweet, almost like...strawberries. He opened his eyes that was closed a second before impact. His hands were braced on either side of Tasuku's head so he wouldn't burden him with his weight. Scarlet eyes were as wide as saucers. His eyes wandered down.

Shit.

He was kissing Tasuku.

On the lips.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter II  
Patch Up

Gao pulled away, his hands coming off the ground, holding them up like he was surrendering to a police officer. Ironically he was. And the crime he committed wasn't going to come off easily, especially with the scene nationally broadcasted worldwide. Whoever was watching probably had their eyes popped out of their sockets. He couldn't say the opposite for himself. Either Tasuku's fans beat him to it or Tasuku himself. "Sorry," he yelled, hands flailing wildly. "It was a mistake. I tripped and—"

Paruko was in front of him, screaming through the microphone. "What do you mean that was a mistake? That was totally a move you made!"

"No, I did not!" The crowd was coming alive again, their gobsmacked faces morphed something akin to anger and resentment, others were tossing sideways glances at each other, murmurs muffled by the shouts and loud talking. Paruko didn't bother to control the crowd when she was busy interrogating him. If you could call it interrogating with this one-sided screaming-fest.

By the stands, Kuguru had her face covered behind her hands, but he could make out the blush decorating her cheeks. Baku was beside her, mumbled 'idiot' before chewing on a bar of chocolate. Hanako was staring confusedly at the flow of atmosphere. A second ago everyone was cheering for her brother until negativity had rolled in, every expression was dead-set to kill. Most of the girls were glaring daggers at his direction. Noboru's jaw was hanging opened, much like most of the frozen ones.

If he didn't do anything, people were going to misunderstand, not that they weren't doing it right now.

Paruko pushed the mic to his mouth. "Mikado Gao, what do you have to say for this? You practically took every chance a girl out there wants!"

"It was just an accident! And a kiss! It doesn't mean anything!"

"You stole his first kiss!"

"How would you know?" Gao bit back. "Besides, a first kiss doesn't mean anything! Sooner or later, you gonna get a second and a third!" He saw Tasuku sitting upright out of the corner of his eyes, eyes hidden beneath his bangs, lips pressed into a thin line. Gao pushed passed Paruko who wasn't ready to be ignored that easily. He tried to sound remorseful, but his mouth wasn't obeying with the words pouring out. "Tasuku-senpai, my foot caught on something and I tripped and I'm really sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident, an _accident_. It doesn't mean anything unless it was genuine, right?"

Tasuku seemed to relax at the apology, Tasuku's bottom lip fell opened to say something.

"Hey, if that was Ryuenji-san's first kiss, does that mean he belongs to Mikado-kun?" The question slit through the voices of shouts. A girl in the stands was shouting it over the wave of voices to her friend across her.

Gao was ready to retort back when a blur of movement caught his eye, the silence claiming the stadium. Tasuku was on his feet, anger flashed in those ruby orbs, tears brimming at the corner, teeth gritting, the card Gao gave him was in his fist. Gao knew from that reaction he was so dead. "What the heck were you thinking k—kiss—kissing me?" His cheeks were flushed pure red, his voice high-pitched. Tasuku began to approach him in slow, purposeful paces. "Just because you think you were brave and arrogant enough to have won me in a buddyfight, but that doesn't give you a right to do _that_!"

Gao stumbled back one step. "No—I wasn't—that—that was—"

"An accident?" Tasuku said mockingly, stopping in front of him. "Do you think that excuse is going to help you in this situation! You're making a fool out of me, right? If that was your real intention from the start, that's fine!" He shove the card toward his face. "I swear I'll win in our next fight. You'll regret to ever make an enemy out of me, I'll make sure of that!"

His declaration brought cheers upon the crowd. Gao was speechless of his behaviour, too startled to response.

"Jack!" The said dragon turned to Tasuku. "We're leaving!"

"Now?"

"Now!"

Tasuku didn't wait for Jack as he flew off, leaving behind wisps of sparkling emerald vapour. Jack glanced between Gao and the direction where Tasuku had took off, his eyes staying longer than necessarily on Gao, feeling the cold gaze burning into his soul. He took off, the force of his wings flapped powerfully, a gust of wind pushed everyone back on their spots, Paruko panicking helplessly as her saucer lost control.

Kuguru was running with Baku and Hanako, she extended out a hand and caught him by the shoulder, dragging all of them away. Drum didn't complain and followed. "Hey, what's going on?" Gao was answered by the chaos erupting from the stands. He saw a horde of people descending from their seats, balls of flames in their eyes, fists waving in the air like a mob of villages with pitchforks.

* * *

"It seems the crowd has come out from their seats in order to pursue Mikado Gao for stealing Tasuku-sama's first kiss. With the circumstances at hand: Mikado Gao's bold move on claim and Ryuenji Tasuku declaration of denial, how will this end for both of them and for the whole world? Will Gargantua Punisher stay in the hands of Mikado Gao or will Ryuenji Tasuku reclaim the card back rightfully as his?"

The news depicting a solid image of them running away, a rainbow of colours giving chase from behind. Paruko's alarmed face, still in her saucer suspended above the madness, was saying about the true meaning behind this predicament, until Mikado Suzumi lowered down the volume, eyes bemused. "Gao-chan, you didn't tell your mother you were interested in this boy," she said, gesturing to the TV. "Next time make sure to tell us everything, got it?"

"It was an accident! Didn't you see the clip? And stop adding 'chan' to my name!" Gao should have known better than to walk right into the living room acting like nothing had particularly happened. It had slipped his mind and his mother had started questioning him as soon as he'd stepped through the threshold. He didn't even have enough time to think up an excuse, and Drum wasn't support anyway when he was helping himself into a bowl of pudding.

Suzumi clicked her tongue in disbelief. "No, Gao-chan, you cannot say things like that. Love always comes with a spark and a spark always comes from miracles. Remember, a person's heart is really fragile. What you're saying sounds hurtful."

"It's true! I didn't mean to do what I did. I did apologize and said it was an accident..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"And how did it turn out in the end?"

Gao cringed. "Not good...?"

"Exactly," Suzumi said, nodded sternly. "Obviously you have got to set things right between you two."

Gao shot her an annoyed look. "How am I going to do that?"

"Follow your heart, Gao-chan. Eventually you'll find the answers." The next thing he knew he was thrown out of the house, his mother's face poked out, her smile only made her look deadly. "THAT'S WHY NO DINNER UNTIL YOU HAVE MADE UP WITH HIM AND DON'T COME HOME BEFORE THAT!"

* * *

"He makes me so mad..."

Akari nor Jack didn't know how long this was going to go on. For the past hour, they had been sitting in one corner, listening to Tasuku's ongoing tantrum, quietly watching his ministrations on his room, which made the place slightly messier than they thought. Tasuku would keep muttering the same sentence over and over again with a kick or a punch to the wall, occasionally climbing on the bed and slamming a pillow onto the mattress, sometimes tossing books around and littering the floor with done assignments and projects. In a fit of anger, he had resumed his daily activities with the atmosphere getting heavier by each second.

Akari had been called over—more like she was already halfway toward his house. She had a feeling he would be needing more patience than Jack's advices, not that they weren't good. She wasn't all that astonished to see Jack keeping his mouth shut, lying down on one corner of the room, merely watching him.

There was a loud _thud_; the History book colliding against the wall. Akari winced; Jack's wings fluttered uneasily. Tasuku settled himself on the bed, hands fisting the edge of the bed sheets, the same look flared in his features, but there was one more thing she couldn't put her finger on. Somehow she knew Tasuku wasn't just angry, but confused and as lost as a pup abandoned at an alleyway. He was masking them pretty well. Anyone else would have been fooled by a simple smile or a small manipulation in sentiment. He was good at acting, the barrier was flawless to the point of perfection. It took one simple stolen kiss for it to have a dent, a mistake that should never exist, yet here was his true self out in the open, and Akari was seeing it for the first time.

"That guy makes me so mad!" Tasuku felt eyes on him and directed his glare at Akari. "What?"

"Besides watching you freaking out for the first time without a major issue about criminals, I don't see there's another reason to answer your question."

"What's the problem with seeing someone freak out?"

"The problem is that _someone_ is you," Akari said. "You never really care much about cheesy things that others take into account, much less care about the drama centering the first kiss subject. The only time you were ever that of a drama queen was when Jack's card had fell into the river."

"Will you forget that?" cried Tasuku. "It was an accident! I didn't see and some guy knocked into me and—"

Akari held up a hand to silence him. "Just trying to make a point here. What I'm trying to say is you never pay much attention on someone before. This is a first for me to see, even Jack."

"Because he's a jerk! And a show-off!" His eyes turned stormy. "It's true that his strategy was good and well-thought, but he doesn't need to make a show over it! Why would you even bet on things like predicting someone's cards in their hands, anyway?" He grabbed his pillow and flung it across the room, knocking over a stack of books. "And then he was so sure that the match would end his way so I didn't mind having a rival, but he _had_ to do something as ridiculous as humiliate me in front of a crowd!" He grabbed another pillow, not to throw. He hugged it, his chest pressed into the cushion. "Jeez, he makes me so mad!"

Akari pulled out her LCD panel, a transparent screen glimmered into existence. There was various of taps and drags. She stood from her makeshift seat, went over and sat down beside him, sliding her LCD panel onto his lap. "Are you sure you're even telling me the truth about this?" She pointed. The video was playing over the match he had with Gao. "Or," she added, closing the window and tapped the next video, displaying Gao locking lips with Tasuku. "Is this the real difficulty you're worried about?"

Tasuku's cheeks reddened at the photo. He turned his head away sharply, trying to avoid looking into her eyes. She could see into your soul just by one look in the eye, it was maddening for him to accept her consumptions were hundred percent spot on.

Akari exhaled deeply. "I figure that much," she said, her face starting to take on an uncomfortable look. "How did it feel?"

He was caught off guard. "What?"

"I mean—" She bit her bottom lip. How was she supposed to explain something when she herself didn't understand? There was a lot of ways to explain, but which one was the suitable one? Usually her style involved bluntness and direct approah, but not on this matter though. "I don't know," she said helplessly, throwing up her hands. "I'm not an expect in this area. I have never dealt with this before! Forget about this shit!"

"It's harder than you think."

"Not _that_, I mean _this_! Just hear him out for once, okay? He may look like a show-off to everyone, but that was because you didn't hear the end of his story. Give him a chance to explain. Tell me, Tasuku." She grasped his shoulders. "If you were in his place, what would you do?"

This time, his eyes met hers. There was a battle met with intense eyes on each other. There was no going back on this one. Whoever loses admits defeat, that was the main rule. Unfortunately for him, Akari's eyes had always been one of the things to avoid and he was faltering. The moment was broken by a chime of a bell. It was from the door. Someone was outside. They broke eye contact. He left his bedroom door opened, took two steps at a time down the staircase. Not bothering to check who was it because he was planning on turning down any request to go back up his room and face Akari, but he wasn't prepared for this, he realized as the door swung open.

It was Gao.

* * *

Gao thought his mother's instincts were blowing the wrong direction at that time. Instincts could only go so far as the human mind desired, but the world never worked that way. Imagined putting two of the same person together, if fate was kind enough to fulfil each of their wishes, but where would it side in the end? The thought disappeared along with the annoyance in Tasuku's face, his expression softened tremendously and he looked tired. Tasuku was holding a deadweight on his shoulders, his responsibilities as the youngest and the strongest fighter in Japan's Buddy Police force, the world wasn't satisfied of his actions and the press wouldn't let him go on another day unless their questions were answered. No matter how Tasuku was adored by the world, if people had jobs to do, he wouldn't be all that lucky to make it out alive.

"Gao-kun..." he spoke softly, almost as if he had forgave him. "What did you come here for?" he asked, his voice reserved, the usual coldness was back, but without the aura of wanting him dead. That was a start.

"To talk." That sounded really lame. He wouldn't blame Tasuku slapping him for it. Tasuku scrutinized him, frowning. Gao felt the nerves prickled in his stomach, twisting in fury knots. He was never this highly strung before, maybe it was because of the consequences that came with if he messed up. He felt no perspiration on his hands. Weird he would get anxious in his stomach, but no sweaty hands or cold feet? Wasn't that a bit too out of order. He realized too late he was actually hungry; a growl came from his stomach. Tasuku stared. Damn it. Dinner had slipped past his conscious and his mother was too concentrated on the subject to feed him. He rubbed his nape, laughing nervously. "Sorry about that, I haven't had dinner yet." _This is a bad time to act so casual, Gao,_ he thought to himself, keeping on his act.

Tasuku tore his eyes away, glancing back into the room. He turned back with a sigh, stepping back, his hand holding the door for him. "Come in. You'll catch a cold if you stay out there any longer. We can talk from there."

Gao obeyed without questioning.

Tasuku's house was simple yet different at the same time. Past the threshold was the living room. Three steps down to the right was a square piece of velvet flooring, in the middle of couches that surrounded the three sides of a low glass table was a vase sizing up a bouquet of lilies, irises and orchids, a flat-screen TV on the wall across it. There were several doors to the left—likely it was the guest room or bathroom. Deeper on the right was the kitchen area. On the left was rows of shelves containing books from the thinnest to the thickest, a round table and a dozen of armchairs placed around it. In the middle of it all, a staircase made of glass steps and silver handles spiralled to the top floor.

The houses around the neighbourhood were big and spacious. He had seen a lot of interior designs through the windows of homes, none of them could be compared to this.

He followed Tasuku to the kitchen area and was asked to be seated by the dining table. There were countertops, stoves, an oven, a fridge, cabinets above, untensils organized around. By the way Tasuku worked his way around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients, closing the fridge with a small push from his hips, handling the knifes, the smoothness in his movements. It seemed natural to him that he looked like he was dancing over the place, gracefully taking care of everything with precision.

He noticed how bright his eyes were, like a pair of rubies in their glory. Dressed in a loose T-shirt and shorts, Gao found it very disturbing for Tasuku to be showing skin. His work clothes and school uniform usually covered over those areas, even the entire length of his arms and legs were sealed away by the fabric. Now he saw the skin under the sleeves and pants were milky white.

"What are you looking at?" Gao snapped back to attention. Tasuku was looking at him with a dash of mistrust, a pot boiling on the stove. Gao realized he was staring too much, quickly peered away, finding himself blushing in embarrassment for being caught doing something inappropriate. Drum would laugh at his expression if he was here.

"You're cooking for me?" he asked lamely, trying to direct the conversation away. It would have been too awkward for both of them to continue. He didn't want to give Tasuku the wrong impression, anyway. It had to do with a lot of explaining, and he didn't see any good outcome from it.

The plan was a success, but it only stirred up another pinch of rage. "Why? Do you have a problem with that?" Tasuku's hands were on his hips, leaning most of his weight on one foot, his eyebrows knitted together, bringing his eyes sharper. Gao shook his head at a breakneck speed, the last thing he needed to do was pissed him off. Tasuku stared at him for a minute longer—Gao hoped the panic didn't show in his face—before deciding it wasn't worth it. He washed and wiped his hands on a paper towel.

"I have company upstairs," he said, ascending the steps. "I'll be back in a minute."

As Tasuku disappeared upstairs, Gao slumped back on the chair, thinking he was getting nowhere delaying their confrontation, it only served as fuel for the fire. Sooner or later, the fire would spread. "Maybe I should have gotten some more advice from Kaa-chan," he mumbled.

He whirled back on his seat when he heard footsteps. He saw a foot taking the first step down. His immediate thought was Tasuku, but instead he found a girl with snow-white hair reaching past her waist, wearing a set of last week's fashion. At the bottom of the stairs, she regarded him calmly, emotionless, but her eyes spoke otherwise. The corner of her lips curved up slightly, as if she was considering him as an amusing experiment. She waggled a warning finger at him. Somehow he understood. _One mistake, or else._ He nodded mutely. She smiled at him that he discovered was far more terrifying than sweet. Could a girl be more menacing than her?

By the time Tasuku came down, the girl was already by the threshold, putting on a pair of boots. "Have you got everything, Akari-san?"

"Yeah." Her voice said everything. Despite her casual tone, it expressed great authority to control an empire. "I'll be fine. You should be worrying more about yourself," she said, indicating her head his way. "Try not to get pounce on easily. I don't think I would want to hear your next words to be 'not alone did he steal my first kiss, but he also took away my—'"

"Okay, that's enough!" Tasuku interjected. The girl named Akari darted her eyes between the two boys. "Really, it's fine. See you tomorrow."

The door clicked shut. Tasuku moved to the kitchen and began piling the table with an assortment of dishes. Gao's mouth watered at the lamb chop in barbeque source, a bowl of salad with potatoes and coated in mayonnaise, mashed potatoes in gravy and a bowl of steaming chicken soup. Lastly, Tasuku placed a bowl of rice and a cup of green tea before him. He went back to kitchen to clean up, not that there were anything messy about his work aside the utensils. He dug in. The food was amazing.

Gao didn't stop until he swallowed the last grain of rice. By then, Tasuku had sat himself across him, his face on his hands, elbow pressed on the table, his gaze softened. He didn't know why he was mad at the first place, Akari's explanation had made perfect sense. There was no grudge to hold between them. It might have been mortifying, but watching Gao enjoying his meal, it swept all the irritation away. "Ne, Gao-kun."

Gao perked up from his meal, then he went into defense mode, his hands flailing in the air much like the time back in the arena. He stood up; the chair made a protesting squeak as it skidded back, nearly toppling back. "Anyway, what I wanted to say is—"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tasuku feigned confusion, putting on his best baffled look.

"I'm not trying to make a fool out of you or anything—"

"Let's forget this, please?" he tried again, this time shutting Gao up. "It's an accident, right? There is no need for you to apologize." He never thought he would forgive someone so easily. The nightmares were the cause of this mess, and he wanted no part in it nor was he going to start comparing him to Gao. Gao was different.

Gao broke into a huge grin. "Why don't we start this over again?"

Tasuku blinked. "Start over again?"

Gao held up a hand. "The name's Mikado Gao. Call me Gao."

Tasuku took his hand. "Ryuenji Tasuku. Tasuku's just fine."

* * *

For the first time in two weeks, there was no nightmare.

Tasuku laid on his back, the covers reached up to his chin, his half-lidded eyes stared unblinking at the darkness that blanketed his room. Everything was identified by shapes and shadows, the humming from the air-conditioner breathed soundlessly, a patch of moonlight making its way past the drawn curtains. The numbers from his digital clock by his nightstand read around midnight.

He wanted to go back to sleep, to make the remaining hours useful. He should be taking advantage of the luck he had been granted with, but he was also afraid that sleep wouldn't stay put for him, afraid that the nightmares would come back again with another place, another catastrophic event, but mostly, the same face. Another part of his hopeful mind whispered rest, peace, and the kiss. The kiss had been a good distraction, the fog was thick enough to cast away the bad things and bring up the embarrassing ones. He could feel his cheeks heating up just thinking about it.

He rolled onto his side, fixing his gaze on the only source of light. He allowed his mind to drift back, the red outline of the moon, a burning village, a run in the darkness, the boy. It was his recent one from yesterday night. Before that the dreams had been more concerned on showing him destruction, himself trapped, alone, and the only comfort he had to confide was the boy. The only human being that appeared at every last moments, before he would wake up panting from exhaustion, realizing his head was being screwed.

He closed his eyes, sat back and watched as the front bangs of the boy's short silver hair grew spikier and longer and red, the back darkening into black, the eyes that were so empty were suddenly filled with a bright gold from the afterglow, the menacing smirk replaced by a goofy grin.

He drifted off with the image burned into his mind.

* * *

Author: I have one question for everyone. I did say that this is a canon-AU, but how far am I going to go, that's the problem. Should I follow the canon plot, replace the enemies or should I just stick with a new plot, keeping to the canon. I don't know. I'm a little confused, but I'll see if which one works better.

I'm sorry that Suzumi and Gao's interaction was short-live, but I wanted to save Suzumi for the future where there will be a talk with Tasuku. About Gao and Tasuku's fight being short, well, that one will have to wait. I have a big plan install for the both of them.


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III  
First Beat

"Sir, Sample PA has awakened."

The voice was female, that much he could tell. His senses were numbed to the core, a sheet of ice over his heart, his ears picked up the sloshing sound of water rocking back and forth, coating his inner ear with an unknown substance. The water was cool to his cheeks, running over the gaps of his fingers and toes. Inches from his face was transparent glass. A glass box, he thought, wiggling his fingers over the sides of the box. The box was glowing a radiant of green and blue, beyond the glass was pure darkness.

A man's face appeared, the light from the water sharpening the wrinkles on his face, the criss in his forehead formed layers of dried skin. He was big in size, wearing a badge suit, the long collars of his sleeves made his hands look big and powerful, enough to dent a wall. There was no strand of hair left on his head, only a surface of shaven area. "This is the boy you are working on?" he asked, his jaw set to a scowl. "He is merely a child, no more than an insolent fool. I want a servant who follows orders, not a mindless teenager."

"Your Excellency, this _child_ you are referring to has exceeded the limitations of mankind," a gruff voice said. "He is among the many that shows outstanding results."

"Results doesn't matter if he rebels."

"This is why we must start when he is still growing. Developing the genes takes years to comprehend. Giving it to anyone else would cause deaths. We may not find another as remarkable as him."

"This operation needs _two_." The man disappeared back in the gloom, his voice sharp. "You promised me there is another one. Was that a lie?"

"No," the voice glowered back. "Let me finish first, old man."

"Do not use that tone with me."

"Whatever. The other one isn't a structured being. Unlike Subject PA, he has powers that wasn't instilled, but rather born with it. Subject PA is a replica from an _expired_ one. The other one is a living human being continuing life as it is."

"So you have the second one?"

A pause. "The globe is not a small world, it's bigger than you think. Never mind worrying about male or female, the population itself is a challenge to us."

"Then why aren't you doing anything?"

"I'm doing everything as best as I can. I have search parties all over the world for years. It's not easy as you see. There is still the government to be concerned over. Do you want a foul play to jeapardize everything we have liven up to? Every single night and day I spent myself in this lab working my way through this mess is another step closer to insanity for me. The more I solve problems, the more the holes keep popping up. It's like a rash that never stops itches."

"I don't care what it takes; put up posters, establish examination for every kid or adult out there, start kidnapping if you have to!"

"Didn't you listen to me a minute ago?" the voice said through gritted teeth. "We have the government on our tail, unless you want the lab and the formulas destroyed then you got another thing coming! We have to restart every-freaking-thing, don't you get it!? Do you want to be sent to prison and wait for another decade to start planning the procedure, to remember the blueprints?"

Silence followed after that, broken by the heavy breathing from the second voice. "Alright," the man replied softer. "I won't rush you in that topic. But give me one good reason why completing this boy is far more important. The priority, at the moment, is finding the second one among millions of them. Shouldn't the search be conducted closely?"

"Yes, what you are implying is very true. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. What do you do when playing hide-and-seek with metal? You get a magnet. That's where the boy comes in handy."

"You're saying the boy can find his..._kin_?"

"Absolutely! They are two sides of a coin, a package that cannot be without the other. There is a strong connection between them. They can reach each other through dreams and communicate, that is the beauty of it all."

"So the boy should be asleep now?"

"Comatose? Yes, of course."

"Why is he awake then?

Again, a pregnant pause. He heard footsteps gaining closer and a face of another man. He was the complete opposite of the first. He had a thin frame that could be passed for underfed, hollow cheeks and tired eyes. He wore a white lab coat over a T-shirt. There was a scar running down his right eye, curving to his chin. His hair, a mop messy coal-black tresses, hung over his face. When those green eyes locked onto his, they widened into saucers. "Impossible," he breathed. "This, by far, is uncommon."

The first man sidled up beside him. "Why? What does this mean?"

The scientist said nothing at first. "It means the connection has been broken. Something is interfering with the link they both share."

"Explain in Japanese."

The scientist stared emptily at the man. "It means his other kin is thinking of someone strongly. Someone has occupied the mind of the other, forcing Subject PA out. If this continues further, the link will break."

"What should we do?"

"_You_ do nothing," the scientist threatened, walking away. "I must contact the staff and make preparations. We're going to reattach back the thread."

The man turned to the spot where the scientist was. "How are you going to accomplish that? Find this person before the connection breaks?"

There was a sinister chuckle that promised casualties. "I have my methods. It might take long though."

"Take as much time as you need. Just make sure the job is done."

"Whatever it takes," agreed the scientist.

* * *

"My, Tasuku-kun, you're leaving early today."

"_You know that Kaa-chan owns a dojo at our place, right?"_

Tasuku nodded, transferring the stacks of papers into his hands, donning them on her desk. "Sorry for bailing on you with this much paperwork," he apologized sincerely.

"_I know. You told me, right?"_

"It's fine." Stella smiled at him. "It's good that you're coming out of your shell. I was worried about the whole fiasco last week and Akari-chan only told me tiny details, telling me to leave you alone and you were fine, that you just needed time, she said. I found it hard to believe at first, but looking at you right now..."

Tasuku masked his astonishment with a deadpanned look. Was he really changing?

"_Listen, we have PE on Wednesday. I'm going to be an instructor in Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu for my class. We're allowed to invite people and I wanted you to come, you know, to experience." The words came out unstable._

Tasuku forced a smile. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine now."

Stella went behind her desk and began riffling through the papers, grabbing a pen to sign some of them. "Things went better, didn't they?"

"_You're inviting me?" Tasuku asked in disbelief._

_Gao swung his head back to look into his eyes, but looked away instantly, a blush creeping into his cheeks. "Yeah," he answered. "Don't make this even harder. I just wanted to introduce you to Tetsuya and Kiri."_

"_Ah," Tasuku echoed the word, drumming his fingers on the table. "Of course."_

"Of course." He heard himself saying the same thing, the two voices from past and present interlapping into one. There was an awkward silence, the staring contest between them served as an excuse for her to see it in his eyes, to see the truth behind his odd behaviour. He must have did a good job hiding his emotions, because Stella sat back sighing, given up on trying to read him. "I'll be going." He grabbed his long-strapped bag where he stored his clothes and sped out of the doorway, not bothering to answer a startled Takihara who he nearly rammed into.

"Whoa." Takihara spun out of the way before there was a collision. Tasuku disappeared around the corner before he could voice out. He turned to Stella, who looked on amusedly. "What's gotten him so excited?"

He shook his head before walking over to his own desk with his fair share of paperwork to do. He heard Stella giggling by the corner. "What?"

"Nothing important," she said in a sang-song voice, which only heightened his suspicion.

* * *

Tasuku had changed out of his work clothes, putting on his school's workout attire: a normal white T-shirt and a pair of red shorts. He thought of using a vehicle to reduce the amount of time to reach there, but decided against it. He wouldn't want every pair of eyes to spot him from a mile away. Instead he took Jack's suggestion to fly, and now he was, summoning Jack out of his card form to activate his Buddy Skill. Circles rotated at each side of his feet. He started to float, two trails of steam spilled back.

"_What should I wear?"_

It was stupid for him to ask. He had spent the morning fussing over what to wear before dropping the clothes in a pile, realizing with utmost embarrassment that he was acting much like an enraptured girl on her first date.

_It was Gao's turn to be surprised. "Anything's fine. Why?"_

"_Nothing," Tasuku said too fast, cheeks heating up._

Tasuku sighed, flying over Shibuya street filled with people gushing over a boy behind a stand, performing magic tricks; a clown in an oversized pants, large shoes, a plated shirt and a big red nose was parading down the road, flipping his hat over his head; another clown was making animals out of balloons for passing kids; a salesman in his expensive suit was advertising about a portable machine; there was also an old lady selling sweets and chocolate. The world was cycling in its own way, just as everyone was moving forward in their lives.

"What was I thinking acting like that this morning," he mumbled to himself, sailing by a theme park, a few fingers below were pointed in his direction. He gave a short wave to them, their joyful faces fading behind him.

"Tasuku."

He barely dodged an incoming building. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Jack. What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that," Jack said, flying beside him. "You've been acting strange since the morning. Does it have anything to do with the nightmares?"

Tasuku was quiet after that, letting the wind rushed past him, hearing large waves in his ears. "No." He knew? For how long?

"From the beginning," Jack said, as if reading his mind.

"You were watching?"

"Always." Looking into Jack's amber eyes, he knew his buddy was dead serious. Guilt started to settle in. How much pain did Jack endure? Watching him squirming in bed, facing the nightmares each and every night for two weeks, Jack was the one suffering all this time, not being able to help or ease his nightmares. Jack had said so, _your pain will always be my pain._

Making up his mind, Tasuku flew above Jack. He turned his Buddy Skill off and he smoothly landed on the dragon's neck, settling into a comfortable position. He wrapped his arms around his neck, pressed his cheek against the scales, the rigid muscles underneath him relaxed. "I'm sorry," he murmured soothingly. "It was hard for you, wasn't it?" Jack didn't answer, a gesture for him to go on. "From now on, no more secrets," he promised, tightening his grip.

How long could he keep that promise?

* * *

They landed a few blocks away, behind a deserted alley, the darkness providing a good cover for them to shy away from the public. Tasuku didn't need to reveal more of his situation to the world, his personal life was at stake. Sooner or later, the press were going to knock on his door for answers. Not this time though. He was much more careful, flying high in the clouds and low behind buildings. People didn't need to know why he was attending a lesson with the same boy who _accidentally_ kissed him in front of a camera.

Tasuku shook his head, sighing. The world had really gone nuts from it all. Still the articles were streaming through the charts, each day was the talk of the same prospect, same report that travelled the globe in mere seconds. Couldn't people forget about it?

He was pulled out from his thoughts when he registered an old man a feet away from him. He jumped back, started, closed to tipping over a trashcan. The man was in an old cloak, his face hidden under the hood. He was perched on a stool, a square table in front of him consisted of pearls, diamonds, a variety of craftsmanship and voodoo dolls. Weird, was the man involved in occult?

"Sorry. I didn't see you there." The man remained quiet, his covered hands beckoned him closer. Tasuku didn't move, strangers were dangerous enough without being bundled up. Who knew he could get robbed and stabbed by a concealed knife. Thief these days were smarter, one underestimation from his part, he could end up dead for all he knew. "I should be going right now. I'm already late."

The man began to whisper in a different language, agitated. Tasuku didn't understand a single thing he said. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

"Tasuku," Jack warned, stepping between them. "Don't get close. He's dangerous."

Tasuku complied, knowing that trusting Jack's instinct was for the better. "What should we do, leave?"

"It's for the best."

Tasuku turned to leave, then froze on the spot. In a second the man was in front of him, standing tall, a walking stick in one hand that disappeared behind the cloak. Before Tasuku could react, the man's hand darted out and closed around his wrist. Panic flared in his nerves, his hand struggling to break the hold, but despite the man's hand all ashen and dark and wrinkled up, his grip was as strong as iron. "Let go!"

Jack's tail snapped up towards the man, whipping him across the chest. The cloaked man was knocked onto his back, his grip pried off, touching the ground at the end of the alley where the sun poured on the pavement. The man got up, uninjured. Jack's claws were clamped on Tasuku's shoulders, his wings spread, ready to fly off.

The man realized the movement and stood where he was. "_Ryuenji Tasuku._" There wasn't one voice speaking, but a thousand voices chanting in one beat, the vibrations shook his nerves. "The puppeteer's strings are fully intact and the play has begun."

"I don't know what do you mean." His voice was shaking.

"_The only thing it's lacking is a another marionette_," the man continued, undisturbed.

"You're not making an sense!"

"_Be ready when it comes for you._"

Jack's tail snaked out, fast and deadly. The man saw it coming this time. He deflated the blow with his walking stick. Jack sneered at him. The man laughed hysterically and vanished in a shower of raven feathers. Tasuku looked on blankly, his constricted heart had his veins pumping loudly in his ears. Jack's talons clenched painfully, but he did not voice out a complain, simply the meeting of the man had kicked up an uneasy sensation in both of them.

"Are you okay?"

Tasuku swallowed. "Yeah. Just a little—scared, that's all." He scanned the place for any signs of life. "We should go," he said, after confirming that what happened back there wasn't a dream, but a solid memory that kept coming back to him.

"Who do you think that was?" Jack asked after a few blocks down the avenue, his feet creating tiny quakes.

Tasuku shook his head. "Let's forget it."

Jack fell in-step with him. "He knew your name."

Tasuku shrugged, trying to sound casual, but nothing was alright at all. "I don't know. Anyone could have known my name. The press weren't that quiet when it came to me. He could have just gotten that from the papers or TV."

Jack turned to Tasuku. "Surely you don't believe that. His words, do you remember what he said? The last line of the sentence was a warning."

"Jack, people do a lot of stupid things just to intimidate others," Tasuku said, a hint of doubt, not exactly trusting what was he saying. "Whoever back there probably thought it was funny to prank me, and they did what they wanted. Case's closed."

"It certainly wasn't a funny prank to me."

"Jack," Tasuku began, stopping at the front entrance of the gates. "I appreciate your concern, but don't you think maybe we're just tired and everything's getting to our heads?"

"The only thing getting to our heads is we're not being careful enough." Jack switched back to card form. "I don't plan to regret later on." He slipped into the right pocket of his shorts. "Neither should you."

"I know."

Past the gates was a small resting area, six rows of trimmed bushes lined the square, its plushy leaves curled into each other. A fountain sat in the middle, geysers of cold water shot out from the middle. Two sets of escalators rolled up to the top, the railings made of hard rubber to prevent anyone from slipping. The last time he had turned up in Aibo, it had been a short flight and a small glimpse of this area, he had missed out a lot of things with his rushing hours over the city. He wondered how many times he missed all the tiny details that made the things shine in their own way.

He immediately turned away as soon as he came to one single problem. The place was packed with people—like literally. There were short hang-outs in groups, adults roaming the place with their firm grips on toddlers' chubby hands, a man walking his many dozen of dogs, a lady lighting up a cigar by the bench and students spanning from first grade to university graduates. God, how bad could the situation get?

"Jack," he said helplessly, ducking his head away from wary eyes. He was glad that he had changed into his sports attire. People could spot him within a mile radius if he was in his uniform or work clothes, but it didn't keep the prying eyes off his back. "Why is there so many students outside? Don't they have classes?"

_Unlike your school, students here can roam freely before their next class,_ Jack informed. _You can see from their dress code that the school isn't that strict._

It was true. In his school, uniforms were compulsory for everyone. You wouldn't dare walk in class with jeans and a shirt, it could get you expelled. Furthermore, no student was allowed outside the perimeter of the school unless you didn't have any classes later on, you were free to leave. There was an attendance list for every class they swapped, so if you were planning on escaping, you could count that out, because they would know.

He found a place to hide behind a closed stall the owner had yet to arrive. There were more stationed nearby, most of them boarded with pictures and words, a lady or a man were either situated behind the carts, electric stoves sizzling with meat and eggs, a combination of other seasoning added to the snack. Further down was a woman clothed in linen fabric, throttling up to customers with a bright smile.

There. His eyes zeroed in on the last cart. There were a collection of wigs, random gadgets, flowery-themed hairbands, second-hand mobiles sold at half-prize, a cabinet of earrings, and to his luck: hats and caps were hanging off the hooks. He walked behind the carts, making sure to avoid them as much as possible. There was a man sitting on a deck chair, a smoking cigar in his mouth, his bold head had three strands of hair combed to the back. The vibe he gave off seemed to ward anyone off. Tasuku didn't have a choice, it was the only cart that was empty.

"Good morning." The man looked up, bored. "Do you have anything concealing?"

"Who knows? Why don't you just do it yourself?" he snapped, shutting the magazine he was holding. Tasuku flushed red. The man went behind the small tent behind his cart, muttering to himself. "I swear kids these days are too spoilt. What do they think they are, royalties?" He appeared a few seconds later, shoving a fisherman's hat over his hair. "Here. Take this." Tasuku barely caught the shades thrown at him. "It's free," he cut off before Tasuku could ask how much. "Now scram." He went back to his seat, burying his nose into the contents.

After a moment hesitation, Tasuku put on the shades and left when he saw the man glared his way. He pushed the hat below his eyebrows, making sure that any evident that could expose him was hidden away. The disguise did its trick. No one batted an eyelash in his direction. He was another unworthy breathing human that wasn't worth looking at—another stranger that people didn't want to know. Curiosity was limited to an extent to not overdo it.

He took the escalators up. The compound he hopped onto branched off in every direction. There were buildings in erected stance, a dome encircling a stadium, a long warehouse, buildings that formed a U-shape, smaller ones that took up the whole length. Aibo Academy was huge—twice the size of his middle school at least. It was his first time getting a good look at the place without the desire to escape from a mob of fans. Why haven't he done this from start? It certainly made moving around easier and less chaotic.

A quick look around, he could tell he was stranded. He referred to the map at the noticeboard, his finger touched the spot where he was at the main entrance of the building and traced across the map, over the elementary block to the dojo. His eye twitched at the distance and time it was going to take on foot.

_You'll attract attention if you fly,_ was Jack's not-so-helpful statement.

* * *

Tasuku arrived fifteen minutes later, bone-tired. He slid in the dojo silently, not a soul noticing his presence. He snuck round the corner and dropped his bag next to the pile, watching the assaults of limbs desperate to throw each other off. There was a gathering crowd, and that was when he spotted Gao dodging a hand. He went closer for a better look, forcing sharp eyes to be aware of his existence.

"Don't fool around or you'll get hurt," Gao was advising a boy in a hat and what looked to be bananas in his hair. Tasuku never saw it coming—seeing the clumsy boy very earnest about this. A giggle bubbled beneath his throat, but he managed a single smile before turning to an unknown voice among the horde.

"Why is Gao-kun being so intellectual?" Tasuku realized he was the same boy who was saved by Gao a week ago.

"He won the National Tournament thrice in Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu," replied his partner.

"Does that mean he was challenging adults?"

"He also excels in Judo."

"That's cool!"

_Judo and Mikado-style Aiki-jujutsu,_ Tasuku noted the information. _And not to mention, a winner in three consecutive National Tournament. He's amazing. That's why I want to try something out._ He broke away from the swarm. "Who are you?" Gao turned on him with a solemn expression, his mouth thinning. "Why aren't you in your uniform?"

Tasuku rolled his eyes, although no one could see it with his shades on. He thought Gao would recognize him, but apparently the disguise was strong enough to keep Gao's golden gaze over the real motive. _Or he forgotten, _another part of his mind whispered. He didn't answer Gao.

"I'm going to get the teacher," Gao threatened. It was an empty threat to him. He had faced worse, his life clinging by the edge of the cliff, and knew that any moment could be the end of the storyline for him. But it was different for the sea of students who had known about his fame and seen what he could do. Tasuku took a fighting stance, raising his hands. "Fine. If you want to settle this the hard way..." Gao didn't finish his sentence, taking his own position. Nervous energy danced through every short gulp or uncertain glance between a brawl.

_Tasuku, what are you doing?_

_Just testing something,_ he mouthed the words.

The crowd backed away, fearing that a hit would land on them. Tasuku wasn't afraid. It was the opposite; his adrenaline surged through his veins, the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach sent goosebumps up his shoulders, his fingers tingled for action, for excitement to let out. It had been a week since he felt like this. He saw himself standing in the arena, on the other side of the fighting stage was Gao and his buddy, while Jack was holding the Dragon World flag behind him.

Gao moved fast, fingers closing around his wrist. Tasuku briefly remembered the exact motion Gao had made when he was watching him in the alley. He flicked his wrist outwards, rendering Gao's hand in a vulnerable pose, seeing the shock registered in his features. Tasuku tried pulling his wrist back, but Gao's grip was just as insistent, tugging in his direction. Tasuku's free hand aimed for the joint connecting the arm to his shoulder, but Gao retaliated by grabbing his wrist; that was when Tasuku took advantage, pressing down on a joint between the thumb and index finger. He felt Gao's grasp loosened and swiftly side-stepped away when Gao made a grab for him.

Tasuku was behind Gao in seconds, pushing on his previous target, his foot kicked out on the back of his knee. Gao grunted, knees buckling, his right arm bent back. Tasuku was about to push him down when Gao used his fall to sweep Tasuku's feet from underneath him, rolled onto his back and threw him back. Tasuku's back hit the wood, wincing at the impact. He rolled away just in time before Gao could flip him over.

Tasuku got up and began dodging the advances Gao made. _I can't keep running. I need to wait for an opening, that's when I'll strike._ It felt like hours had passed when Tasuku's right foot caught Gao's. _There. _He dove, both hands gripped the front of his Haori, spun around with his back facing Gao and threw him down.

Everything happened in a blur. Next thing he knew Gao was crouched below him instead of his back on the ground. Tasuku gasped as Gao sprung up and tackled his foot with his. He toppled back onto a hard chest which left him breathless, an arm circled his shoulders, the other one locked his wrists behind him. "I win," he heard Gao whispered from behind him. Tasuku sighed and dropped his head. _So much for the plan._

Gao stiffened behind him, a couple of gasps escaping from the throng. Perplexed, he raised his lashes and discovered the world wasn't covered in an extra layer of darkness, the colours hitting him in bright rainbows. At his feet laid the shades he had worn.

* * *

"You surprised me back there," Gao said, hands behind his head. "I didn't even know it was you."

Tasuku elbowed his ribs. He was satisfied when Gao winced at the pain. "From the way you put it, it's like you're not going to expect me for the whole day."

"You could have went through the front door."

"I _did_ go through the front door," Tasuku corrected. "You were just too busy getting so much attention than notice me."

Gao would be lying if he denied what Tasuku was saying. But it wasn't for the fame, it was to make sure that nothing went wrong during the whole lesson. If either one of his classmates gotten hurt under his supervision, he wouldn't want to think how terrifying his mother could get.

"You were disguising yourself," Gao said accusingly. "How am I going to know it's you?"

Tasuku looked away. "Goes to show that you're pretty dense in matters of much more than logic."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Tasuku turned back and performed a light chop on his head. "It means Gao-kun surpasses the word of logic with his own wittedness."

Gao slapped the hand away. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Tasuku smiled that innocent smile, like he was an actor caught stealing cookies. "It means you're an idiot without common sense."

"That doesn't make it any better." Gao got onto his feet. "How did you do that anyway?"

"Do what?"

"When you did something to my hand," Gao said, holding up his hand. "I held onto your wrist. Not everyone can break it through that easily."

"I have my fair share of Judo. A friend taught me a bit." Tasuku got onto his feet. The evening sky melted into an orange hue, a soft breeze ruffled though his blue tresses, the afterglow of the disappearing sun hit them. His eyes were shinning, like rubies under a spotlight. For a moment Gao was mesmerized by the light's work. He felt a noticeable skip in his heartbeat, a quell of bouncing balls hastening.

Tasuku looked at the sky. "I should go. It's getting late. It's nice that I get to see your family's Aiji-jujutsu."

Gao tried to answer, but the words accumulated in his throat. It didn't take long for Tasuku's silhouette to shrink into a small dot in a distance. Disappointment ventured into his heart. What was going on? Was he sick? He felt feverish, a hot load of adrenaline flooded through his veins. And that was when he heard it.

The first sign of a beat.

* * *

Author: The words that are in Italics are usually flashbacks or conversations between two buddies when one of them is in card form. In the old man scene, I wanted to make the old man's voice really stand out in words, that's why I put them in Italics, like a thousand voices.

I'm sorry that I didn't update last week, but I have to admit I can't just keep going on with my exams coming up. Actually it already started yesterday, but what the heck, I want to have some time to write. I'll try to update at least two chapters per month. _Try_.

Back to the point here, I took in considerate of your reviews (by the way I'm grateful that you spare some time to voice out your thoughts) and it really helped me in a lot of ways. It'll eventually veer off when the time is right. Probably before the start of the Sengoku Arc.

To reply to one reviewer who said that Tasuku act a lot like Shinon. Actually (I hate to say this) I didn't know the second season of SAO was out until you mentioned it. I was seriously embarrassed when a friend of mine said "You don't know the second season is out? You're way behind. Girl, you call yourself an Otaku?" Yes, I'm very behind since this is my third year. I have to study. I watch the entire season in these two weeks and wow, I was completely blown away with how advanced their graphics and plot got. Especially one episode that featured Shinon with her friend talking about how irritating Kirito was, I compared my second chapter with it and found that a few lines were the same and how they react to the situation. That was a huge coincidence. Although people say coincidence rarely happens.

And Kirito's hair. O_O I can _not_ believe it. How's Asuna going to react to her boyfriend with long hair? I laughed when Kirito tried to act cute in front of the crowd, asking them to cheer for her—cough—I mean, him. O Sorry Kirito, you look so much like a girl!

And guys, remember last week's episode. It was so obvious that Tasuku is targeted by Kyoya. I literally scream at my laptop "I knew it!" and my sister was like "What are you doing?" Then I reflect upon myself that my sister has no interest at all in Anime. Too bad. That's why I have you guys to discuss with. And did anyone checked the Wikia? The title of Episode 39 is "Dear, Gao-kun".

Oh god, I'm hyperventilating. Anyway, there is only a few possibilities. First is that it's a goodbye from Kiri or Tasuku, one of them are going bad. Unless Bushiroad is trying to troll my fantasies of Gaosuku, a new character or Suzuha (I don't want that). Tasuku didn't even appear in the latest episode! I want him back now! Curse those stupid (fake) detectives. The third might be from Disaster, Kyoya want to recruit or whatever.

See you in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter IV  
Gaze

The sky was a shroud of darkness, just as the moon was the light, but today the moon was gone, yet the night was aglow. It was a clear sky, not a single sight of a cloud spotted, only a cluster of blinking dots decorated the vacant blanket. The ground was rough, like tiny stones prickling the layer of his skin and catching the fabric of his shirt.

"You're finally awake." Tasuku tilted his head backwards, ignoring the way the floor dug into his skull. He was met with warm eyes, the same shade of red as his. She ran a hand through his hair, and Tasuku found himself closing his eyes, enjoying the comfort she provided. "You shouldn't sleep here. It's painful enough that you lasted this long without complaining." Her hand drifted down to his nape, another hand trying to get him to sit upright.

As he sat up, he took in the place like a bird stumbling upon a nest of worms. The setting was simply breathtaking. He was in the clearing of a forest, a swarm of fireflies floated above the glittering lake, tree roots around the bank sank into the deep waters. The dock he had dangled his legs over the edge was old and worn, years of endurance from harsh winds and storms, but the pier held strong. It looked more like a historical monument than a shabby bridge to the middle of the lake. The image reflected back by the water was a younger version of him, when he was still small, ignorant and unaware of what was to happen to the future.

The girl beside him was a few years older than him. She had that kind of atmosphere that told him she had seen everything in the world, like she was there when wars broke out; when people were forced to fight to the death. She stretched out a finger. A flash of light landed on her fingernail, crawling forward, its tail twinkled, before flying off to join its friends at a grove of oak trees. "It's not my place to say this, but I can't bear to think that I'm going be a shadow to you in the future."

Tasuku didn't answer, but whether it was by choice or merely a vision, he wanted to say something. Who was she? What was she doing in his head? Was she the same? The same as the boy with obsidian eyes? The questions were at the tip of his tongue.

She didn't give him long. "You're confused, huh?" she said smiling. "I can't blame you. I'm just a stranger to you." She laid a hand on his cheek, the sorrow in her eyes were filled with pain. "In a few years or maybe even tomorrow, you won't remember meeting me. I will only be a small shard of your memories. I..." Her bottom lip quivered. "I—" She dipped her head, as if looking at him was already starting to break her. She hugged him, her fingers clasped behind his back, like she was afraid he would disappear.

* * *

_Click._

The next time he woke up, a face from beneath the blurry waters went sharp, a pair of sapphire eyes stared back at him. He thought he was seeing Akari, the ends of her white locks tickling his face, until he saw the corner of her lips turned up into a victorious smirk. "Come on, sleepyhead, time to get up," she rolled the words out. His eyelids were heavy. All he wanted was to delve back into his dream and learn more about the girl. "Fine." A huff. "If you're going to be like that, then you leave me no choice."

He felt a jab in his sides—the part of his body where he was sensitive. His eyes flew open, a scream tore from his throat that could be heard down five blocks, startling the waking neighbours in their beds and children from the playground stumbled in their spots, wondering who was making so much noise this early.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. Akari slammed the door open. "What's wrong?" she breathed, eyes alarmed. "I heard screaming. Did something—" Her eyes settled on Tasuku huddled in the corner, his shaking fingers clutching the sheets, his moistened eyes glared at her twin. She was rolling on the floor laughing her head off. Akari sighed, annoyed. "I said _wake him_, not _this_," she gestured a hand to the poor boy. "Really, you're starting to give me ideas to put you in a haunted house. They're hiring helpers in the carnival for idiots like you."

Hikari got up, the grin never left. "Geez, no need to be that serious. I was just having fun, Tasu-chan too!"

"Yeah. _Fun_," Tasuku squeezed the word out, venom obvious in his tone. "What are the both of you doing here?" His eyes darted from Hikari to Akari, presuming that she would explain. "We don't have classes, do we? I mean, it's what, seven in the morning? I have work at nine. Can't I at least get some sleep before that?"

Akari shook her head. "Plans changed. You're off for today. Stella informed me earlier."

Tasuku's eyes narrowed. "I can't be off today. Takihara-san is going to kill me with all the paperwork."

"Apparently you need to accept that things happen for a reason and"—she grabbed the back of Hikari's neck, deaf to the small pleas from her sister to let go—"that she is the mastermind of this scheme. She even got my lesson cancelled." Akari must have hated it, because her nails dug into the skin, earning a wail.

Hikari escaped from her grip, taking ten steps away from her. "I was obliged to do that. No one would agree if I'd asked," she sniffed, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes.

Akari and Tasuku gave her blank looks. "That's the point," they answered together.

"So mean!"

"Anyway, you better get changed," Akari said to Tasuku. "We're heading out soon."

"Where?"

Hikari recovered. "To Aibo Academy, of course!"

"Why? Is there a case from Commander I?"

"No, silly," she laughed, tossing her hair back. "Did you forget why the holidays are on? Because of the ABC Cup. It's a yearly tournament that is held in Aibo Academy. The whole district is invited to come and see, that's why school's down until it ends." She clambered onto bed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Mostly, we're going to perform a through-check on your boyfriend before your first date."

Tasuku's head stopped functioning altogether, the gears that spun earlier gurgled and snapped. A fog shadowed his mind, driving him insane with flusteredness, suddenly the images hit him again and again. A part of him lingered on the taste of sweat mingled in those rough lips, the sensation of his nerves overdriven by heat that brought the emotion of yearning surfacing above the barrier.

"Ho-ho, you're thinking of him!" Hikari bristled, releasing him. She twirled in circles, grinning excitedly. "It's like one of those sappy romances our school's drama club does. What was that play they performed for Valentine's Day? Romeo and Julier, yes! Two souls sinfully attracted to one another—despite their differences, love prevails. But the ending really was the best. Instead of carrying on a fairytale that ends happily, the finale did an uptake and went down the road of eternal love. Rather than suffering together in a world where their love is rejected cruelly, they venture into death's door and stayed together. Even in death, love is never-ending."

Akari grimaced. "You know, if you spend most of your time studying, you might actually get good results."

"What's the fun in that?" Hikari huffed. "Studying is so boring when you can experience life. You get one chance in life. I rather enjoy it than waste it with hours of exploding brain activities. What's the point of excelling in education when there is so much more that needs to be learnt. Think outside of the box, _little sister_."

* * *

"That was a stupid idea. On second thought, that was the worst idea you have ever came out with."

"Think what you want, but it sure makes our lives easier." She had that stoic look that told you she didn't care what insult you throw at her. Hikari led the way, and they were caught in crowds, pushing past sweaty bodies and dodging arms. It was like wading in water, fighting a losing battle against the waves that directed elsewhere. "Give me those," she pointed at his sunglasses.

"No." Tasuku trailed behind Akari. "You already had your fun at the booth. I am not taking them off again. Did you see how pale she was?"

"Who cares," Hikari grumbled when Tasuku refused to hand over his disguise. "That woman—no, that would be admitting that that monster has a family. That lady pisses me off real quick." She slapped a random arm away from her, squashed between two men. She made a disgusted face before slipping through. They ran to catch up with her. "It's not like I did anything to her. I was just making sure she knows who is with us."

"You went too far with that one though," Akari said, picking off the dust from her nails as she smoothly glided through the flow. "If she had a stroke or an attack came, you'll be responsible."

"That's not even sensible!" Hikari protested, fighting out of the crowd. "That's it. I'm getting out of here." She flung herself through an opening under a pair of held hands; the couple glanced down in surprise. They followed silently, almost knocked over by a towering figure. "Whose idea was it to walk through a crowd?"

"I don't know, maybe next time you should rethink of saying '_I trust my instincts and they never failed me once_'. Apparently they did."

"It's Tasu-chan's fault!" She pointed an accusing finger at Tasuku. "If he had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't have been stuck in a crowd."

"Don't point fingers at me when it was your _brilliant_ idea to use the front entrance," Tasuku said, breaking away from the trio. He sat on the plastic chair at one of the tables, while the twins took their seats. "We should have a drink first. I'm thirsty after all that."

"Hikari, get the drinks." Hikari stared disbelievingly at her sister, like she had heard her wrong. "You heard me."

She pointed at herself. "Why me?"

"Because you're the oldest," Akari said adoringly, disregarding the scandalized look on her sister's face. "What are you waiting for, _Onee-san_?"

"I can't believe you're using that against me." Hikari left with a rattled look.

Tasuku sympathized her, but every sense of pity left him. He might have been more sorry for her if she hadn't done that to him. It was the time they had arrived Aibo Academy, appalled at the length of the line for visitors to fill in their form and enter. They were contemplating to either seat down in a nearby cafe to wait. But Hikari had enough of it, dragged them to the lady that was in charge and demanded immediate entrance for them, which didn't end well with the look she gave them.

"_What fine and lovely children we have here." Her radiant smile was sweet, but the kindness did not reach her eyes. They were as dark as coffee, with no trace of additional milk or sugar. One look would define mysterious and fascination, but one taste would be the savour of bitter._

"_Cut to the chase, lady. We don't have all day."_

"_Unfortunately, you do see a line, do you not? Did your mother teach you no manners at all? You must be fair in your position. You can't march straight in for permission."_

"_I'm not asking for permission," Hikari said patiently, like talking to a child who blindly understood the difference between black and white. "Fair doesn't apply to this topic. If you want fair, consider this as a favour."_

"_This is no favour. You are ruining my job," she snapped, her fists clenched, her legs unfolding. "For your information, you do need permission and a form to enter. Only exceptionals are allowed with admittance."_

"_Who, pray tell, is these exceptionals?"_

_Her lip curled up. She was looking down at them. "None of the trait you have, believe me," she answered mockingly, examining her polished fingernails. They were painted black. To Tasuku's discomfort, it reminded him of the boy. The boy with the eyes that could freeze him in place and laugh at his fear._

_Hikari still had that smug look, which only aggravated her hostility. Provocation was Hikari's ultimate weapon to stir up action and push it under her flow. She was in control of the situation right now. "If you are so familiar with these, ah, traits, then you must be lying."_

"_Don't be a fool. I will spot one in a mile away."_

"_Then why can't you spot the one in front of you?"_

"_Ridiculous. You're not involved in any sufficient requirement to be proclaimed as one."_

_Hikari blinked innocently. "Me?" She laughed; the swarm of people stirred uneasily. "No, no, you must be dearly mistaken. I'm talking about him." She jerked her chin to Tasuku. "He's right in front of you. Why didn't you spot him within a distance as this, compared to a mile?"_

_The lady stole a glance at Tasuku. "He's not of importance to the world if he vanishes one day. He's a normal boy who is mixing with the wrong people. Not that anyone cares."_

"_Oh, you'll regret everything you've said. Still want to take back those words?" she teased, holding up a hand, as if to say that she would accept her apology if she decided to feel regret._

_The lady slapped the hand away so hard that the back of Hikari's hand obtained a red hue. "Over my dead body."_

_Hikari didn't say anything more. In one movement, she yanked the shades of the bridge of his nose. The lady was confused, then her mouth fell open, her widened eyes bringing her flawless face into wrinkles. Suddenly she was much more older, paler and flabbergasted. The line grew impatient—they didn't know what she was seeing. They were oblivious to her reaction._

"Still—I have to admit—it was the quickest way," Akari said, sweeping her bangs to the side. "Beats standing there all day. Not that it was fair to you," she added when she saw the sour look. She sighed. "It's Hikari. What can you do with her? She can't change. That's good, 'cause it'll get freaky if she starts acting like me. Although it's nice to have someone you share your interests with, but—like she said—it would definitely be..."—she screwed up her face in concentration—"..._colourless_."

"Colourless? Since when do you desire colour? I thought you were the embodiment of mundane itself."

"You're saying like I see the world in black and white."

Tasuku shrugged. "You did say you wanted a dull life—studying, future, all of that life cycle process that people do."

Akari rolled her eyes. "Sure, coming from someone who's just the same." She started playing with her hair, lost in thought. "We both study and want a future. Buddyfighting is like a disease to us that spreads. It changes us for the better. Like Jack and Hikari. Imagine both of them weren't here, what kind of life would we have?"

_No meaning,_ he wanted to say, but kept it to himself. He didn't want to exist in a world without Jack. During his journey through the mountains with no sight of grass or plain dirt, the jagged rocks and cool mist were cobwebs that clung onto him no matter where he went, wherever he turned at an invisible intersection. There was a hole in his heart back then, that the ground around it started to give away into the void. Life was like falling through the sky, an endless expanse of space, and death was the time you would hit rock-bottom.

No meaning. It was the smallest word to describe how would he feel if Jack were to disappear one day. His life, loaded with memories and times, would shatter as easy as breaking glass, exploding into a million of tiny pieces, knowing that it didn't matter that there was a way to reassemble them and glue them back in place, because there was nothing it held. It may looked nice and shiny or sounded melodious with a tap of a spoon, but what was inside was completely unfixable. There would be no meaning in life for him if he were to lose Jack. That was how much he needed him.

"Woah, don't start getting emotional," Akari said alarmingly, fearing that she might have said it too upsetting. "It was just a metaphor. It's not real."

Tasuku bit his lip. "Everything's real. Nothing's a dream." _Like my nightmares._ It took a lot of willpower in him to not spill everything out. He wanted so badly for someone to understand his situation, the frustrating secrets that peeked out from every corner. The only thing keeping his mouth shut was the fact that he wanted his friends no part of his problems. _To protect them,_ he reminded himself.

Akari had that sceptical look. "Why? Something on your mind?"

_Tell her. She will listen._ The voice was haunting, tempting the growing urge. It poked and pushed at the back of his mind. "Nothing." It took everything in him to set his face expressionless.

She bought it, because she went back playing with her hair. "Okay."

* * *

"Hikari, stop it! You're going to pull my arm off!"

Hikari shot her a glare. "Well, you weren't that merciful when you nearly broke my neck!"

Hikari had both her hands on their arms. They were moving fast along the flow of the crowd. Tasuku barely registered the voices of his two arguing friends muffled by the cheers and encouragements and taunts that erupted from mouths; the clouds were hanging low, a heap of cotton piling on top one another, the afternoon sun was gone.

"What's going on?" Tasuku managed to choke out before he was hauled sideways—out of the way of two clashing monsters.

They slowed at one of the battles, slipping under waving arms. "Do you know who went through the qualifying round?"

"Kisaragi Zanya, Kurodake Tetsuya, Kodou Noboru..." He heard Akari marked them off one at a time with her fingers. "That's all. Why?"

"I heard only four teams are allowed—the _first_ four. As in the last spot is left."

"So?" Akari sidestepped away in time to avoid the grunting adults.

"I don't know. Tell me who isn't through." Hikari's voice was impatient.

They came to an abrupt stop. It took time for the image to clear properly before he saw nothing else but the Dragon World flag, hanging from a long pole, its description of a shield, a dragon and cross swords flapping in the wind, and standing right in front of it was him, his face pulled back into a scowl, the tremors in his fingers worried Tasuku.

It was Gao. And he was losing.

"He needs this win to get the last spot," Akari said. "The same for the other. It's a take or lose for the both of them. One mistake and it'll cause them everything they had fought through."

"Why did you think I got you and most important—_him_, here." Hikari's eyes were serious, her brows scrunched up, the frown she had was unsuitable for her normal jolly personality.

Tasuku didn't understand her intentions nor the meaning behind her words. He stood powerless as Gao pulled through the turn with a counter spell. What could he do to help? He knew the effect in losing. For Gao to go through that was distressing. He didn't know where did this feeling came from. Maybe it was Gao's determination to win or the little moments they spent together were starting to spark within.

It was unusual. Like they were connected by a thread, and he felt the small tug on the other end. It was what he was feeling without meaning to. It was a small curse that it carried; the small prize to pay for both ends of the string to experience the same emotions. Emotions that disturbed the nerves, resulting in recklessness and blinded to the aftermath.

"Oi, Gao! Focus on the fight. You're not acting like you used to!"

The voice was unimportant to him. Everything seemed to fade to black, the silence turned on with a flick of a switch. He thought of both of them seating at the dinning table of his home, Gao picking off his food while Tasuku watched silently with the kind of fondness that shouldn't be there, yet he recalled the mellowness that defrosted the ice. Then it was all over quickly. His ears buzzed in his brain, the decision that wasn't thought over, but was simply created out of emotions washed ashore the noise.

His hand slid into his pocket; the smooth exterior of glass caressed his fingers. He brought out his phone, his fingers moving over the keys themselves. He didn't need to think. Words needn't be thought over carefully. It all came down to his heart, the message he wanted to convey. His arm fell back to his side. He waited.

"Gao, are you even listening to me? T—Oi, why are you taking your phone out? THIS ISN'T THE TIME AND SITUATION TO BE LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOW!"

Gao continued to stare at his phone, his eyes taking on a softer glow of orange. He looked up, his eyes darting over the faces, trying to find that person he wanted to see. It was a painstaking process he went through for Gao to move on, but the boy was persistent. His hands shifted in their own will, his fingers gripped the hem of his hat. As those golden gaze swept over his direction, that was when he did the unthinkable.

"What are you—"

Akari didn't have time to finish her sentence. His hair was freed, the hat came off easily and he shook the shades off; it landed on the ground with a loud crack—the signal of change. Not long did Gao's eyes landed on him, and it was that instant he disappeared behind the bodies of eager individuals. All it took was one glimpse. Tasuku knew Gao only need one to know it was the truth. He was there to watch him fight, in return he better be at the finals.

* * *

Authou: ... *staring at the word document* No matter how many times I try to fix this chapter, I'm still not satisfied, like seriously. Anyway, not much happened in the latest episode, except that we have our confirmation from Kyoya that Tasuku is one of the candidate. So, do you think Tasuku's going to the evil side or will he hold on?

Most importantly, I requested a GaoSuku fanart from my cousin. I was beside her when she drew it and if you guys want to check it out. Go to deviantart, her username is YukimuraHyougaLover. She has drawn two GaoSuku fanarts so far, including a family portrait. Their daughter and son are so KAWAII! I squeal the whole time she spent the second day colouring them.

An announcement to make, this story shall consist of around 13 chapters. I know it's short, but consider the length of each chapter, I'm sure it's long enough. After this, I plan to write another Gaosuku fiction, like a long one, longer than this and more characters and plot development. A War Of Threads is like a multi-chapter short story for me. So I hope I do better in the future.


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